I Take It Back

Apparently my insurance isn't the devil. They approved the prescription along with a new one--the dissolving Zofran. I am still a little mad that I had to go without any meds for almost 24 hours, but during that time, I realized that while the Zofran isn't working as well as I'd like, it is keeping me from throwing up everything. I kept absolutely nothing down for those 24 hours.

Hubby is keeping up with my cravings. I am still super thirsty all the time, so he bought me a lot of fruit. I am pretty sure I am dehydrated. I still am afraid to eat grapes after pregnancy #2 where I threw them up every time I ate them. But cantaloupe is so yummy, and super juicy. And the KFC he got for me last night was great! Mama loves her fried chicken!

I go to the doctor tomorrow and I am going to try to wrangle an ultrasound. I am afraid I am only 6 weeks instead of 8. I am also going to have a talk with him about different meds.

I am officially sick of Saltines and Sprite. Just the thought of eating them makes me gag a little. But mostly it is my hyperactive sense of smell that is doing me in. Every kind of soap smells gross. I have been using my dish soap to wash my hands. And don't even get me started on Poopy diapers.

I am feeling better today. I have an order to finish and ship out. And hubby is home tomorrow.

Thanks for all of your kind words and thoughts in my behalf. You guys are the greatest!

If You Don't Have Anything Nice To Say...

Post a picture instead.

Today I Hate My Insurance

I got a 20 pill prescription of the Zofran. I was able to take one pill every 12 hours (as needed).

That is a 10 day prescription. Yesterday morning, I took my last pill and sent hubby to the Pharmacy to pick up my refill.

Insurance denied it and then had the audacity to be closed so the pharmacy girl couldn't find out why. So while I am not sure if the meds were working well, I am off them until at least Monday.

This may turn out fine but for right now, I am a little irritated that my insurance is jerking me around.

Unicorns and Rainbows

I have been sick for 3 weeks. Laying on the couch sick.

I have been thinking for about two and a half weeks that I should talk to hubby about giving me a blessing.

But, usually, I am just so excited that he is home, I totally forget about it. But last night, after all the awfulness that was yesterday, I didn't forget.

So hubby called our fantastic neighbor to come and help.

While we were waiting, ET kept saying, "Don't worry. You won't be sick anymore after you get a blessing."

Faith is a wonderful thing. Especially when it comes back to you through your 5 year old son.

How's that for unicorns and rainbows!?!

On a side note, I do feel better this morning. Not only better but I actually have a bit of energy. The laundry totally has a chance at getting folded today.

Not Good

Today is not a good day. If you would like to skip my rant, feel free to come back tomorrow when I promise to post pictures of my children and a 2 sentence story.

I threw up this morning. I threw up while taking a medication that is supposed to make me not throw up. A medication that is supposed to help with the nausea but isn't.

While I was throwing up, I had to break up a fight between my children.

Mid-spew.

All food seems gross.

Any liquid makes me gag.

I was watching the presidential debate and saw Obama take a drink of water and I wanted to hit him! I am so thirsty but drinking just makes me feel worse.

I have tried exercising but that makes it worse, too.

I used to be able to walk ET to school in under 10 minutes. Now it takes me over 15 because all the jostling makes me feel worse.

If I can't reach a nurse tomorrow, I am going to stop taking the Zofran. Because it isn't helping with the nausea, and being constipated sucks. That's right, not only is it not helping with the original problem, it is creating a new one!

I try to go to sleep early but if I get woken up, I am sick all over again. And TV is not that interesting at 3am.

I think I am done now. I'd better go to bed.

Unicorns and rainbows tomorrow...if I am feeling better.

-EST

Wanna know the cutest thing in the whole world?

Every time Munchkin wakes up after everyone else, she comes out and says hi to everybody. Hi Thumbelina, Hi ET, Hi Shannon, Hi Mom...

Wanna know the annoying-est thing in the whole world?

Opposite day.

Late

So I was late for my last period.


Now, I have been late before...three times. Their names are (for the sake of this blog) ET, Thumbelina and Munchkin. I never actually HAD to take a pregnancy test. (Not that it ever stopped me either!) You see, my morning sickness was a pretty good indicator. With the last two, I was sick before I ever missed the actual period date.


So I was late.


But, I wasn't sick.

I, of course, turned to the internet, where you can get pregnancy tests for under $1. (The catch here is your order has to be more that $5--that's right--I bought 6 pregnancy tests. But, shipping was FREE!!)



The first one definitely had two lines, but the second line was soooo light...

...That I waited a few hours and took another one.

And then another one the next morning.

Then I waited. Three whole sick-less days. Yep, still two lines. But this time the second line was a bit darker. A little more definitive.

But I wasn't sick. Maybe I could get through a pregnancy without being sick. I hoped. I prayed.

And then...

BAM!

Nausea, vomiting, and a whole lot more nausea!

I called the nurse begging for some relief. She gave me Promethazine, which is what I took with Munchkin so I could get enough relief to sleep. This drug that did wonders last time, did absolutely nothing. After three days of waiting to see if it would build up in my system and work, I called the nurse again.

She said, "Have you ever tried Zofran?"

$5 later ($532 for our insurance company--thanks again!), I took my first pill. I felt relief! It was amazing! I could walk without wanting to puke. I slept great!

Now, my body (and my baby who hates me), has caught on and the Zofran is only working very sporadically. Which is why you have been treated to posts which consist of a couple of pictures and maybe a sentence or two.

So, YAY! WE'RE PREGNANT!

But I am only counting weeks since I have been sick. Turns out those tests are for in-vitro patients and can detect as soon as 6 days after implantation. So we are due sometime in May.

That's seems so far away!

The Amazing Changing Baby

Munchkin has figured out how to change her own clothes, which results in a mostly naked baby most days. She loves to play dress up with her sister's things, but her favorite item to put on by herself is her brother's underwear.

She hasn't figured out onesies yet, but I only have about three of those. So this is her latest style...

Removing the old clothes:

The new clothes--an upside down bib and bloomers.

I am seriously considering moving her dresser into her closet.

How Do I Love Thee...

Today, at this very moment, I love my insurance company.

Hubby went to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy.

We were prepared for a $40 copay because the nurse said that some insurance companies won't even cover it because it is so expensive.

He only had to pay $5.

I looked at the drug info sheet. This particular drug costs $532.99.



For 20 pills.

Thank you insurance for not only covering it but covering it well!

Arts and Crafts--Part 1

This was how our project started:




This was how it ended:

Typical!

Final pictures tomorrow.

Color-less

Do your children fight over everything? Mine do.

We had those cheap plastic plates and bowls and cups. I bought them before the munchkin was born (or old enough to use them) so I just bought two of every color. I also was a sucker for the holiday plastic cups that were 5 for $1. We had Valentines and Halloween. We were now color coordinated: yellow, blue, green and pink.

We were also now at war.

"I wanted the blue cup!"
"She got the pink one last time!"
"I picked that bat cup!"

And on and on.

Finally, I snapped. I spent most of a Saturday, went to 5 different stores and came home victorious!

We now have only clear cups. We have white plates and bowls. Their lives are devoid of color...well, at least their table settings are.

If you are looking for some colorful plastic dishes for your children, might I suggest DI?

Booty Shakin'

New Words

You may think from the title that this is a post about Munchkin. You would be wrong.

ET is in Kindergarten. He has been going for nearly three weeks now. He has learned some new words from school...although he keeps saying that he just thought them up.

"What the hell is that?!" Followed by a discussion about why we do not say that.

"Dick." He said this means he is upset about something. Another discussion ensued.

I am impressed at the level of learning in kindergarten! I just hope that he isn't teaching his classmates anything inappropriate.

After watching the History Channel this morning about the September 11th Terrorist Attacks, and answering his many questions with the honesty that a 5 year old can understand, I made sure to tell him not to talk about it at school. Because, while we feel he is old enough to be told about it, other parents may not feel the same way. He has decided that he will just turn into Batman and kill all the bad people. Which, of course, prompted a discussion on the soldiers who are giving life and limb so that this type of thing doesn't happen again. He decided that Batman is a soldier.

Truly Inspired

There is a woman. She married a man. She loves this man with her whole being. And he loves her back just as much. She gets excited about the things he is excited about. He cuts her hair...and she loves it. She cooks his favorite meals. He brings her flowers. He buys her shoes. She has a gun. He is a cowboy. They write each other loves notes. They don't eat meat.

They have 4 beautiful children. She makes bread from scratch, but he makes breakfast. She loves being a mother. She loves cooking. She locks her children outside on occasion. On other occasions, she lets them play in the toilet. She also lets them paint with apples and potatoes.

This woman is an inspiration. I am trying to be more like her. Well, a meat-eating version of her. You see, she is not perfect. She does not have angels for children. She has hung up on her husband. But she loves her life. She loves being a wife and a mother. She has hard days, but as her sister said, (paraphrasing) "She focused on the positive, and in return she got more positive."

If you aren't familiar with this amazing woman, might I suggest starting with her essays on Motherhood, A Mother Heart.

And pray that she will be able to do what she loves again soon.

"I believe motherhood is beautiful living at its best. Being a mother is preparing a safe haven for my children by enriching all aspects of their lives in the home together and keeping a loving relationship with my husband...I love to help inspire women become motivated wives and confident mothers." Stephanie Nielson from the Blissful Living Studio Website

And So it Begins...

Heaven help us!

7 AM

It still isn't fully light outside. I am tired since my son has come into my room every 15 minutes for the last hour asking if it was time to get up yet. Munchkin just got a new diaper and is ready to eat.

"Want cookie now."
"What?!"
"Cookie."
"Do you want some cereal?"
"Uh-huh."
"What kind of cereal do you want?"
"Cookie!"

Yep. That's about what I figured.

Monday Photo Essay

I have independent children. They can do everything themselves. Just ask them.

"Do you need help with your shirt?" No.
"Do you want me to carry that?" No.
"Do you want me to read you that book?" No, I'll read it to you.

That's why these oranges are the best thing ever. The kids can peel them all by themselves. For real.

Well, Munchkin is still in the using her teeth phase.


Baby in a filing cabinet. She had a few toys and was content.

They had a pan band this morning. And I only yelled at them once, and it wasn't even for the noise!

Then they put all the pans away. By themselves.

I think this is just minor surgery, but I haven't seen this particular Carebear all day.

The kids did an art project yesterday, and are so proud of themselves today. But they aren't quite finished so pictures tomorrow.

Have a great Monday.

Sunday Morning

Today is Regional Conference. Instead of 1 pm church, it is a 10 am meeting. Today gave me great hope for when we switch to 9 am church. You see, when your kids wake up at 6:30 am, it is not hard to have everyone bathed and ready by 10.

I just sent hubby off with the two older children to basically a 2 hour sacrament meeting. With two bags full of books, superhero stickers, princess dolls, paper and brand new markers, and snacks. Munchkin and I are homebound today. About a month ago, she gave me a cold. When that went away, we both had allergy symptoms for about 3 weeks before the second cold hit.

So she and I are just going to hang out, and make lunch.

Here are some pictures from earlier. Hubby cut ET's hair this morning and Munchkin couldn't resist the open back door.

Bird Hunting

A little tummy swinging
A cheek kiss for Mom
Then the older kids saw a cat sneaking up on the bird feeder...so they went outside yelling and screaming. So a little bit of cat hunting as well.
Have a great Sunday!

ETSY Tutorial

I realized that some people that read my blog have no idea what ETSY is all about. So get ready to learn. This is what I know:

Etsy is like Ebay in the sense that anyone can sell anything to anyone else. The main thing with Etsy is it is for crafters. So anything you make yourself, you can sell. If you like to do Tie-Dye, you can sell it on Etsy. If you paint, take pictures, sew, make jewelry, or craft in any other way, then Etsy is for you. People make and sell everything!

There are always exceptions to the rule, though, and you can find other stuff on Etsy. There is a Vintage category for actual Vintage items. These are items that have not been altered or crafted in any way, they are just old, cool things. There is also a Supplies category. People sell all sorts of things to make all sorts of crafts. I have ordered ribbon, fabric, card making items, and hair clips from various Etsy sellers.

Now, in order to participate in Etsy, much like Ebay, you have to have an account. Now this is really just a username and password. Once you have set this up, you get your own page. You can add your favorite items and sellers, buy and sell, and give and receive feedback. Now you do not have to sell anything. You can just buy stuff. You need to take note (just like Ebay) of shipping costs and methods of payment accepted. For example, I try to only charge actual shipping. I charge about $1.50 for totes, bows and cards, $3 for balls, and $5+ for beanbag orders. Also, I only accept PayPal in my shop. Other shops accept Money Orders, RMEs (I still am not sure what these are), and credit cards. So just make sure you know before you buy.

Some of my favorite sellers and items are:

Lotta at MomOMatic: She makes jewelry and I absolutely love her stuff. She has some wild creations and some elegant ones and has recently started making children's jewelry.

BabyBejeweled: She makes and sells these awesome little budget books--you know for the cash only budget. They are just so cute!

HandPickedDaisy: She makes these awesome Visiting Teaching Kits. You know for the ones you can never get ahold of! How cute is September's?!

CreativeRooms: She cuts vinyl wall quotes. She has some of the cutest sayings--and she is one of the cutest girls I know!

Bags and More by Pam: She is the nicest lady with such crafty ideas. And she knows how to knit and crochet. And she has the cutest model:

The model brings me to my next shop--Little Lullabies. She sews Portacrib sheets--you know that actually fit! And she has started into kids aprons--also featuring her adorable daughter.



This is just some of the stuff that I am interested in. But seriously, you can find anything on Etsy. There are so many talented people out there--most of whom can sew much better than me! So if you are so inclined, buy handmade instead of mass produced.

Thank you and goodnight.

Hair-tastic

Remember all of the Hair Blogs I told you about? Well, they are always doing giveaways. Now since I never win anything, I am letting those of you who are lucky in contests try to win. And I am not even asking for a cut!

So go HERE and enter to win.

Good Luck!

New Etsy Items

I had a little energy over the weekend and finally got some bows finished. So if you are a BYU fan, these are for you:

Or if you happen to like Red:

Or big poufy ones:

And if you need somewhere to store them:

The small bow sets (2.25 inches) are $3 (+ shipping), the medium sets (3-3.5 inches) are $4, and the large bows (4-5 inches) (like the big red one and the pink and green one) are $3 each. So you can get the whole red set for $10. The ladybug bow holder is $12. The bow holder will hold approximately 30-40 bows. Also, the holder comes with one set of flower hair clips for free.

Now I still have all of the TAGtile balls, mini balls and footballs. I am adding bibs and more burp cloths to my baby items. So keep checking back if you are interested.

Beached Whale

Two weeks ago, I was feeling productive. It was not yet 10 am and the dishes were done. The laundry was actually being folded. And I had every intention of putting it all away. I was planning on tackling the junk pit that is my room once the laundry was done.

Then, I heard the garbage truck outside. Now I had been so productive this morning that all of the garbages were emptied and the cans were at the curb. I usually let Jason bring in the cans when he gets home from work, but not this day. I was going to do it all.

I opened the door, took one step and WHAM!!! ET had left his 'walking stick' right outside the door. I stepped on it, it rolled, I stepped down with my other foot but landed on my ankle.

There was a pop.

And there I was...flat on my back in the middle of my driveway.

Now, while there was an initial wave of intense pain, it soon abated into a very dull ache. You know, unless I moved my ankle the wrong way.

By now my productivity was gone and I sat on the couch with ice on my ankle. For two days.

That's what I get for trying to be productive.

Sinking

I am not a big fan of water. Some deep seated fear from my childhood I am sure. I always feel like I am sinking.

But right now, there is no water. Just masses of things I need to do and remember. I am starting to sink.

Hubby started school (again). So he is working full time and going to school full time. Which, in turn, makes him a less than part time dad and husband. Some days I just tread water until he gets home...but when his home time is later than normal...bedtime comes early. Sinking.

ET is in school now. He loves it. He has always loved to learn. I have no worries about him in this regard. But, I do have to take him to school every day and pick him up. And remember homework, signed papers and the once a week half day schedule. Sinking.

Karate is twice a week. I am so very lucky that my husband can get off work to take ET and Thumbelina. I have to remember to have their suits clean and ready. And read my husband's mind if they are supposed to take something to class. Sinking.

My Etsy shop. This is all up to me and I have really been neglecting it lately. (So if you would buy something I am sure that would perk me up!) :) I am trying to add new things but it is not going as fast as I would like. I am just trying to remember everything I need to do, that anything extra is not even on my radar. But I still think about what I should be doing and feel guilty. Sinking.

I was supposed to participate in a Joy school for Thumbelina this year but bailed at the last minute (sorry!), and I am glad I did. I feel like right now, if I have to remember one more thing, my head will explode.

It's only been a week and a half so I am sure I will figure all of this out. But, right now, I am under water, sure that I am forgetting something!

Same Old Thing...Different Day

Summer 2007
Summer 2008

Same jungle, same game, new player.